Spinnaker sail and method of manufacture thereof

ABSTRACT

A spinnaker sailboat sail is fabricated, according to one embodiment, from at least one transfer medium and at least one sheet of durable spinnaker sailcloth material. The transfer medium includes dyes forming backwards-imaged, visible content. The sheet of sailcloth material includes tightly woven fibers and has two sides. The transfer medium is positioned upon a first side of the sailcloth material at a location at which the visible content is desired to be affixed. Heat and pressure are applied to the transfer medium and the sailcloth material sufficient to force the dyes from the transfer medium completely through the sailcloth material by transferring the dyes from a solid state directly to a gas state to flow past the tightly woven fibers of the sailcloth material. The heat and pressure are then removed to enable the dyes from the transfer medium to become permanently affixed to the sheet of sailcloth material.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/718,669, which was filed on Mar. 5, 2010, is entitled “Sail and Method of Manufacture Thereof,” is incorporated herein by this references, and upon which priority is claimed under 35 U.S.C. §120. This application also claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e)(1) upon U.S. Application Ser. No. 61/214,207, which was filed on Apr. 21, 2009, is entitled “Spinnaker Sail and Method of Manufacture Thereof,” and is incorporated herein by this reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to aerodynamic lift devices and, more particularly, to sailboat spinnaker sails adapted to bear high resolution or digitally imaged informational content.

2. Description of the Background Art

Competitive sailboat racing enthusiasts consider the weight on sailboats very important, especially in the rigging and sails. At the same time, sailing has become commercialized with the addition of lucrative sponsorships. Combining the lightest sails with the sponsor's desire to have digital imaging capabilities has been impossible on spinnaker sails without adding a secondary process and materials to sail manufacturing. For example, traditional forms of secondary imaging on spinnaker sailboat sails include adding hand applied dyes, stickers, pressure sensitive adhesives, tapes and inks to provide limited image, logo or photo recreation. However, such secondary processes and materials add undesired weight and additional layers to the sail, thereby negatively affecting the performance of the original product. Additionally, the use of such secondary processes often results in spinnaker sails that display faded or blotchy images on one side due to visible light penetration through the finished sailcloth, as well as limited photographic qualities. Thus, to date, advertising on racing spinnaker sails has really been an afterthought.

Therefore, a need exists for a method of adding viewable informational matter to a racing spinnaker sail without altering the performance of the sail.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is, therefore, one object of the present invention to provide a competition-quality racing spinnaker sail adorned with high resolution and photorealistic informational matter without compromising performance ability of the sail, which may be comprised of tightly woven nylon, polyester, or other industry standard spinnaker sailcloth. It is another object of the present invention to provide a method for fabricating a competition-quality spinnaker sail that includes and displays high resolution and photorealistic informational matter without compromising performance ability of the sail. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a sailboat that includes one or more competition-quality spinnaker sails adorned with high resolution and photorealistic informational matter.

These and other objects are accomplished through the manufacture and use of one or more spinnaker sails, which have imprinted thereon visible or viewable content, such as consumer advertising. Portions of the sail material are chosen by thickness and facilitate use of large printing apparatuses that can produce very large, photorealistic imagery, such as product photographs and logos. Past attempts to print, paint, stick or otherwise dispose such images upon spinnaker sails or other sails having “draft” (i.e., sails which have more linear feet of sail material between the luff and the leech than the actual distance between the luff and the leech) have invariably resulted in distorted images as the draft of the sail opens up under wind loading. The present invention allows for imaged layers to be supplied in one consistent sheet or in pieces that can be attached together to form the desired airfoil shape of convex shaped spinnakers.

The final image can be pre-printed or dye-sublimated onto a sheet of spinnaker cloth such that the image is disposed on properly aligned sections of the sheet. The sections may then be cut into individual panels and connected or combined together using tri-radial, broadseaming, or other cloth combining methods to produce a convex-shaped, downwind spinnaker sail. Images may also be dye sublimated onto existing spinnakers by pinning out a desired area to be imaged flat by stretching the cloth in all directions onto a flatbed dye sublimation machine and dye sublimating that area with a transfer sheet. Repeating this process allows for placing multiple images on the sail and even tiling images in pieces will now be possible creating images larger than the limitations of the sublimation machinery.

Additional fittings in sail manufacturing, such as corner reinforcing patches, need special attention. In an attempt to not disturb the final image or images on the external layers of the sailcloth, these fittings may be separately imaged and affixed to the final spinnaker, with matching imaging in place, to align without being visible to the casual viewer. The proper imaging and installation of these final pieces is preferred to display a continual image, brand message or design.

When the spinnaker cloth sheet is laid flat upon a horizontal planar surface, it can be printed upon or dye sublimated to add the visible or viewable content. Many sheets of nylon or polyester can be imaged upon and combined along edges of the sheets, such as by stitching, pressurized heat seaming, taping or otherwise combining, so as to be used to form the entire spinnaker sail. In use, a “draft” is created in the sail by aerodynamic forces causing the sail to assume an airfoil shape which drives the vessel through the water. Fittings covered with artwork or other viewable matter corresponding to those sections of the sail where such fittings are desired may be combined with the adorned sheet sections, such as by stitching, heat seaming, taping or otherwise combining

The use of materials chosen from the group of materials disclosed herein has exhibited the result of performance comparable to standard Nylon or Polyester sails, but upon which can be printed or otherwise imparted detailed, photo-realistic images of products and/or other informational content which is visible on a sailing vessel. However, other materials used to produce spinnaker sails, such as Dacron, may be alternatively used.

There is also disclosed herein a novel method for manufacturing a high performance spinnaker sail. In one embodiment, the method includes: (a) providing a sheet of pre-imaged Nylon or Polyester or a similar durability material imaged with first informational, graphic and/or other visible content, (b) cutting panels out of the sheet with seam allowances for continuous image connections between the panels, and (c) combining or connecting the panels (e.g., by broadseaming, tri-radial construction, stitching, heat seaming, taping, or other cloth connection techniques) to form the sail. The continuous nature of the image across panel seams may be enhanced using color bleeding techniques to provide image overlap at the seams.

The improvement in sail manufacturing provided by the present invention will enable sail manufacturers to supply their sailboat racing customers with a spinnaker product having the same attributes as current racing technology, but with a durable image that sponsors will be attracted to utilize in an effort to increase their exposure by displaying photo-quality recreations of products, messages, or other visible content.

The imaging of the chosen spinnaker cloth with visible content is preferably performed prior to assembly of the sail arrangement (which may be the entire sail or a portion thereof, such as when the sail is too large to print or otherwise image all at once), but may alternatively be performed after sail assembly should the sheet of spinnaker cloth already be cut into the shape of a sail. For example, images may be dye sublimated onto existing spinnakers by pinning out flat a desired area to be imaged, such as by stretching a section of the sailcloth in all directions onto a flatbed dye sublimation machine and dye sublimating the pinned-out area with a transfer sheet. Repeating this process allows for placing multiple images on the sail and/or tiling images in pieces thereby enabling images larger than the limitations of the dye sublimation machinery to be created onto the sailcloth. Thereafter, imaged reinforcement patches, grommets, leach lines, and other rigging components can be attached.

The present invention can be best understood with reference to the accompanying drawings and from a consideration of the following detailed description in which corresponding parts are indicated by corresponding reference numerals.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary racing sailboat employing a spinnaker sail produced in accordance with one embodiment of the instant invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a sheet of spinnaker cloth or similar material being imaged with visible content prior to sail assembly in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an imaged section of spinnaker sailcloth in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 illustrates final stages of assembly of a spinnaker sail in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an assembled, imaged spinnaker sail having imaged fittings that strengthen the sail at high load areas without substantially altering the visible image, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating fabrication of an imaged spinnaker sail from an existing spinnaker sail, in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an imaged spinnaker sail resulting from imaging various sections of an existing spinnaker sail, in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention is directed to a spinnaker sailboat sail having high quality, durable imaging on both sides thereof, a sailboat that utilizes such a sail, and a method for manufacturing such a sail. In one embodiment, a high performance spinnaker sailboat sail is constructed using tri-radial and broadseaming sail manufacturing processes that are altered by using pre-imaged spinnaker sail materials, and optionally changing at least a portion of the overall sailcloth arrangement, to allow for digital imaging without adding an external image layer, without increasing weight, without distorting shape, and while generally maintaining current industry manufacturing protocols. The sail is constructed by utilizing white, tinted, or colored spinnaker cloth to allow for CMYK (cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y) and black (K)) and RBG (red (R), blue (B) and green (G)) color separation techniques in digital imaging. The image may be applied to the cloth using large format printers, soluble inks, ultraviolet (UV) cured inks, or dye sublimation technology.

FIG. 1 depicts a racing sailboat 100 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. As depicted, the sailboat 100 includes a spinnaker sail 101 fabricated to include visible content (e.g., a photograph, a corporate logo, a slogan, an advertisement, or any other visually-recognizable content).

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a sheet 200 of nylon, polyester or a similarly durable material imaged with visible content 10 prior to sail assembly, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. In particular, FIG. 2 illustrates direct or indirect digital imaging being affixed to or disposed on a sheet 200 of spinnaker sailcloth material capable of being used in a competitive racing environment. At least three different processes can be utilized to directly or indirectly affix the visible content 10 to the sheet 200 of spinnaker sailcloth material. For example, two direct ways are soluble ink printing and UV cured ink applications. Soluble ink printing may be done by a 16½ foot wide large format printer, such as the Vutek 5300 printer. The soluble ink is designed with chemicals that permeate the surface of the spinnaker cloth to provide a durable image. However, soluble ink printing typically requires application of a liquid top coating of a UV ray inhibitor to protect the imaged content against fading when exposed for long durations to sunlight. Soluble ink printing may also cause wicking and bleeding of inks due to capillary action of the tightly woven fibers. Some pre-coating may be required to prevent or reduce the wicking and bleeding effects of the inks being applied.

The second way to directly image onto the sheet 200 of spinnaker cloth is to use UV cured ink applications, such as provided by Hewlet Packard large format printers. Such UV cured ink applications provide faster drying times than soluble inks and durable imaging, but do not require the additional application of liquid top-coating or UV inhibitors as may otherwise be necessary when using other large format printers.

The final and more preferred image affixation process is an indirect image application using dye sublimation technology. According to the dye sublimation process, a transfer medium (preferably oil-based) is imaged upon backwards to end up with a correctly facing image 10 upon completion of the sublimation. The transfer medium is placed upon the sheet 200 of spinnaker sailcloth material such that the image 10 is positioned on the sheet 200 of spinnaker sailcloth at the location at which the image 10 is desired to be affixed to the sailcloth. Heat and pressure are then applied to the transfer medium (e.g., a transfer sheet) and the sheet 200 of spinnaker sailcloth sufficient to force dyes from the transfer medium completely through the sheet 200 of spinnaker sailcloth by transferring the dyes from a solid state directly to a gas state to flow past the sailcloth sheet's tightly woven fibers with the exact colors from the transfer medium. In one embodiment, the dye sublimation machinery used to dispose the image onto the sheet 200 of spinnaker sailcloth utilizes a paperless transfer system. Such a paperless transfer system is particularly suited for use in fabricating a brand new spinnaker sail and would not likely be used in fabricating an image-adorned sail from an existing spinnaker sail. The heat is removed and the gassed inks become permanent due to their preferably oil based medium. This preferred process offers an extremely durable image that cannot be scraped off and can only be removed by destroying the integrity of the spinnaker cloth itself. Use of large format printers utilizing soluble inks or UV cured inks or use of dye sublimation transfer technology systems ensure a durable image is imprinted on or otherwise affixed to the sheet 200 of spinnaker sailcloth.

FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate a perspective view of stages of assembly of a spinnaker sail 101 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. In particular, FIG. 3 shows an imaged section 300 of the sail 101 and FIG. 4 shows an exemplary order of assembly. In one embodiment, the sail 101 is assembled by first imaging visible content 10 onto a sheet 200 of spinnaker sailcloth using, for example, the dye sublimation process disclosed above when visible content is desired for such sheet 200. The image 10 is applied to the sheet 200 (e.g., a roll) of chosen spinnaker cloth in a predetermined arrangement to take into account the expected wind loads to be encountered during use and the orientation of the yarns according to the warp and fill of the sheet 200 of spinnaker cloth. For example, each section (e.g., section 300) of the sail 101 can be aligned with the strength of the cloth and the wind loads expected for that precise section of imaged cloth. Those of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize and appreciate that countless imaging possibilities exist in accordance with the present invention and all such possibilities are intended to be covered within the scope of the invention.

FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary assembly of a spinnaker sail 101 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. In particular, FIG. 4 shows the final assembly of imaged panels 300-332 (thirty-two shown) that creates a finished, convex-shaped spinnaker sail 101 with high resolution artwork imaged on part or all of the sail. The set of imaged, flat panels may be joined using known crosscut, broadseaming, and/or other cloth combining techniques to form a single visible display.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an assembled, imaged spinnaker sail 500 having imaged fittings 400 that strengthen the sail at high load areas without substantially altering the visible image, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. In particular, FIG. 5 shows pre-imaged attachments 400 that are sometimes necessary in sail manufacturing to provide reinforcement patches in high load areas at the head, clew, and tack of the sail. By preprinting these pieces 400 and affixing them where they visually match, no interruption of the visible image or content occurs, thereby retaining a continuous image on one or both sides of the spinnaker sail 500.

In addition, various fittings and other hardware (e.g., grommets, leach lines, head boards, webbing, chafe protectors, etc.) may be affixed to or associated with the sail 101, 500 as needed to attach the sail 101, 500 to a sailboat 100 and make the sail 101, 500 and the sailboat 100 completely functional.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating fabrication of an imaged spinnaker sail from an existing spinnaker sail 600, in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 effectively illustrates that the imaging process disclosed above with respect to FIG. 2 may be utilized to image existing or previously manufactured spinnaker sails. In this case, a section 603 of the existing spinnaker sail 600 (which is itself spinnaker sailcloth) may be pinned out flat over a bottom heat plate 605 of a dye sublimation machine 607. A transfer medium 609 (e.g., sheet or paper) may be placed on top of the existing sail section 603 between the sailcloth and a top heat plate 611 of the dye sublimation machine 607. The transfer medium 609 preferably includes a mirror, reverse, or backwards-imaged version of the image or content to be transferred onto the sailcloth. The heat plates 605, 611 are then closed together and the heat and pressure, dye sublimation process disclosed above with respect to FIG. 2 is performed to transfer the dyes of the transfer medium 609 onto the existing sail section 603 to produce an image 703 on the sail section 603 (e.g., as illustrated in FIG. 7). By imaging existing spinnaker sails through use of the present invention, visible content (e.g., designs or images) can be placed on the sailcloth in a mosaic style and/or may be tiled together to create images larger the area of the dye sublimation machinery. FIG. 7 illustrates an exemplary imaged spinnaker sail 700 fabricated by imaging various sections of the existing spinnaker sail 600 using the dye sublimation imaging process disclosed above with respect to FIG. 6.

Example

In one exemplary embodiment, a spinnaker sail 101 in accordance with the instant invention is manufactured with pre-affixed imaging using dye sublimation technology. In the exemplary embodiment, the thickness of the sheet 200 of spinnaker cloth is approximately 0.1 mil to 1.0 mil (approximately 0.2 to 3.0 ounces in weight per square yard). Alternatively, other thicknesses may be used as desired for the particular sailing application. The finished exemplary sail 101 includes tightly woven Nylon or Polyester placed in a load bearing fashion and aligned with the warp and fill of the desired cloth. Other external pre-imaged pieces may be added as necessary by traditional means (e.g., as illustrated in FIG. 5) to facilitate the use reinforcement patches and other fittings as may be necessary to use the sailboat 100 in racing conditions.

The sail 101 includes visible content 10 on the outer surface of one or both sides of the assembled sail 101, as illustrated in FIGS. 1, 3, and 4. The visible content 10 may be textual informational matter, images, logos, slogans, photographs, any combination thereof, or any other visible or viewable content. The sail 101 is ideally suited for advertisement or sponsorship promotion when utilized on near-shore sailing vessels or racing sailboats with large media exposure. The final assembled spinnaker sail 101 will allow light to show through to the other side when viewed in sunlight. Such translucent qualities facilitate a viewable image on either side of the sail 101.

As an example, but not by way of limitation, the above-described sail manufacturing process can be used for any sail on any vessel, including, but not limited to, main sails, jib sails, top sails, square sails, gaff rigged sails, roller furling sails, hanked on sails, racing sails, cruising sails, and other sails.

This new technology allows for images on both sides to be visible and not faded. Furthermore, the manufacturing process disclosed herein is integratable into current sail-making processes to provide photo-quality imaged spinnaker sails without the need for secondary, post fabrication processing. Still further, the disclosed process can be performed on existing spinnaker sails including but not limited to, main sails, jib sails, top sails, square sails, gaff rigged sails, roller furling sails, hanked on sails, racing sails, cruising sails, and other sails.

This technology offers sponsors of sailing events and sailing crafts a more noticeable and recognizable reproduction of their message, slogan or branding, which may be readable from longer distances. Furthermore, this method allows sponsors flexibility in the visual representation of their company's logos, brands, image, or product representation. Additionally, steps are taken to supply supplementary or ancillary pieces, such as corner reinforcements, without compromising the integrity of the viewable content.

The instant invention has been disclosed above in exemplary embodiments to facilitate an understanding thereof. However, the invention is not restricted to the illustrative examples described above and illustrated in the drawings, but may be modified without departing from the intended scope of the invention. 

1. A method for fabricating a spinnaker sailboat sail, the method comprising: providing a transfer medium that includes dyes forming backwards-imaged, visible content; providing at least one sheet of durable spinnaker sailcloth material having a first side and an opposing second side, the at least one sheet of spinnaker sailcloth material including tightly woven fibers; positioning the transfer medium upon the first side of the at least one sheet of spinnaker sailcloth material at a location at which the visible content is desired to be affixed; applying heat and pressure to the transfer medium and the at least one sheet of spinnaker sailcloth material sufficient to force the dyes from the transfer medium completely through the at least one sheet of spinnaker sailcloth material by transferring the dyes from a solid state directly to a gas state to flow past the tightly woven fibers of the at least one sheet of spinnaker sailcloth material; and removing the heat and pressure to enable the dyes from the transfer medium to become permanently affixed to the at least one sheet of spinnaker sailcloth material.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the transfer medium is oil-based.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the visible content includes at least one of textual informational matter, an image, a logo, a slogan, and a photograph.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one sheet of durable spinnaker sailcloth material is a previously manufactured spinnaker sail.
 5. A method for fabricating a spinnaker sailboat sail, the method comprising: providing a plurality of transfer mediums, each transfer medium of the plurality of transfer mediums including dyes forming a backwards-imaged, visible content portion, the backwards-imaged, visible content portions of the plurality of transfer mediums collectively forming a single backwards-imaged, visible display; providing a plurality of durable spinnaker sailcloth panels, each of the plurality of spinnaker sailcloth panels having a first side and an opposing second side, each of the plurality of spinnaker sailcloth panels including tightly woven fibers; positioning a first transfer medium of the plurality of transfer mediums upon the first side of a first spinnaker sailcloth panel of the plurality of spinnaker sailcloth panels at a location at which the visible content portion of the first transfer medium is desired to be affixed; applying heat and pressure to the first transfer medium and the first spinnaker sailcloth panel sufficient to force the dyes from the first transfer medium completely through the first spinnaker sailcloth panel by transferring the dyes from a solid state directly to a gas state to flow past the tightly woven fibers of the first spinnaker sailcloth panel; removing the heat and pressure from the first transfer medium and the first spinnaker sailcloth panel to enable the dyes from the first transfer medium to become permanently affixed to first spinnaker sailcloth panel to produce a first imaged panel; positioning a second transfer medium of the plurality of transfer mediums upon the first side of a second spinnaker sailcloth panel of the plurality of spinnaker sailcloth panels at a location at which the visible content portion of the second transfer medium is desired to be affixed; applying heat and pressure to the second transfer medium and the second spinnaker sailcloth panel sufficient to force the dyes from the second transfer medium completely through the second spinnaker sailcloth panel by transferring the dyes from a solid state directly to a gas state to flow past the tightly woven fibers of the second spinnaker sailcloth panel; removing the heat and pressure from the second transfer medium and the second spinnaker sailcloth panel to enable the dyes from the second transfer medium to become permanently affixed to second spinnaker sailcloth panel to produce a second imaged panel; and joining the first imaged panel and the second imaged panel to form at least part of a spinnaker sailboat sail imaged with at least part of the visible display.
 6. The method of claim 5, wherein joining the first imaged panel and the second imaged panel comprises broadseaming the first imaged panel to the second imaged panel.
 7. A spinnaker sailboat sail formed by a process comprising: providing a transfer medium that includes dyes forming backwards-imaged, visible content; providing at least one sheet of durable spinnaker sailcloth material having a first side and an opposing second side, the at least one sheet of spinnaker sailcloth material including tightly woven fibers; positioning the transfer medium upon the first side of the sheet of spinnaker sailcloth material at a location at which the visible content is desired to be affixed; applying heat and pressure to the transfer medium and the at least one sheet of spinnaker sailcloth material sufficient to force the dyes from the transfer medium completely through the at least one sheet of spinnaker sailcloth material by transferring the dyes from a solid state directly to a gas state to flow past the tightly woven fibers of the at least one sheet of spinnaker sailcloth material; and removing the heat and pressure to enable the dyes from the transfer medium to become permanently affixed to the at least one sheet of spinnaker sailcloth material.
 8. The spinnaker sailboat sail of claim 7, wherein the visible content includes at least one of textual informational matter, an image, a logo, a slogan, and a photograph.
 9. The spinnaker sailboat sail of claim 7, wherein the at least one sheet of durable spinnaker sailcloth material includes one of nylon and polyester.
 10. A spinnaker sailboat sail comprising: a plurality of a durable spinnaker sailcloth panels, each sailcloth panel having a first side and an opposing second side and including a respective dye sublimated, visible content portion on the first side thereof; wherein the plurality of sailcloth panels are joined to together to form a complete spinnaker sail such that the visible content portions of the sailcloth panels collectively form a visible display on a first side of the complete spinnaker sail, and wherein sailcloth material used for each sailcloth panel is sufficiently translucent to allow sunlight to show through to a second side of the complete spinnaker sail and thereby enable viewing of the visible display from both the first and second sides of the complete sail.
 11. The spinnaker sailboat sail of claim 10, wherein the visible display includes at least one of textual informational matter, images, logos, slogans, and photographs.
 12. The spinnaker sailboat sail of claim 10, wherein the plurality of sailcloth panels are broadseamed together. 